low prices

From the time that F.W. Woolworth invented the five-and-dime store in the late 19th century, Americans have always been crazy about low prices. But it was Douglas J. Dayton and his family’s Target chain of stores who sold Americans on the idea that buying inexpensive wares at a discount store could be fashionable as well as frugal. When Target opened its first store in Roseville, Minn., in 1962, a newspaper ad announced: “Here’s news for people whose taste runs to …

With winter in full swing and cabin fever becoming an almost constant malady, I usually turn my attention to an endless list of indoor home remodeling and improvement projects. See also: Repair or replace? Much to my wife’s chagrin, I insist on undertaking almost every project myself to save money and because I actually enjoy working with my hands and the challenge of mastering new skills. As I like to tell my wife when it comes to my zeal for …